Storm the best: Fairfax

Date: April 25 2013

Steve Mascord

Seventies rugby league star Russell Fairfax says Melbourne Storm deserves to beat the record of 19 consecutive wins set by his Eastern Suburbs Roosters team - and will get a step closer to making history by outclassing the Warriors on Thursday night.

In a delicious piece of sporting serendipity, if the Storm continues on its unbeaten run, it will have to beat the Roosters on May 25 to equal the run of 19 victories by that club's 1975 side.

The Warriors have the best recent record of any team against Craig Bellamy's men, who have managed to beat the Kiwi side just five times in their last 11 meetings.

"I think the Storm will have a bit too much for the Warriors and they'll keep whizzing towards our record," Fairfax said on Wednesday.

"You don't want to lose the record, but records are there to be broken, and if any team deserves to beat us for most consecutive wins, it's this Melbourne Storm side.

"They've been the form side for a number of years now and are a really impressive team."

The Storm's next six opponents are the Warriors (home), Canberra (home), Penrith (away), Manly (home), Sydney Roosters (away) and then Cronulla (home).

The '75 Roosters won 19 consecutive games in the one season, whereas the Storm's mark has carried over from 2012.

Featuring the likes of Fairfax, Ian Schubert, Ron Coote, John Brass, John Peard and Arthur Beetson, the Roosters beat St George 38-0 in the grand final.

The Storm will join five other teams in premiership history to have won 15 games on the trot if it is successful on Thursday night.

"I think Manly will provide a big hurdle for them," said Fairfax. "If they win that, it's going to be a great occasion when they play the Roosters to equal their record."

Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said Slade Griffin, Maurice Blair and Justin O'Neill would be the men omitted from a seven-man bench.

Warriors captain Simon Mannering was able to run on Wednesday after a calf injury kept him out of the Anzac Test last Friday, but did not train with the team. If he is out, Sam Rapira will be captain.

Centre Jerome Ropati, named on an extended bench after making his return from injury over several weeks in the NSW Cup, will play, the Warriors said.

Only 1000 tickets remained available to the general public late on Wednesday for what has become a traditional clash to complement the St George Illawarra-Sydney Roosters game in Sydney.

"To play on Anzac Day is definitely a privilege," said Melbourne prop Jason Ryles.

"I've been lucky to do it for both the Dragons and Roosters and now the Storm. Certainly, the atmosphere is a lot different to a normal game and the intensity of the game seems to follow that as well."

Former Stormer Todd Lowrie returns to AAMI Park for the first time. Asked about the Warriors' good record against Melbourne, he said on the club website: "I think it's just the way the boys have turned up to play over the years.

"I don't think it's anything Melbourne have done wrong during those games. It's just that the Warriors have tended to … bring their A-game and play really well in Melbourne.